Sunday, September 12, 2010

Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Muffins

It is time for Sweet Melissa Sundays again and today is my turn to host! I picked Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Muffins for us SMS bakers to try and I hope that everyone who baked along enjoyed these muffins.

Choosing a recipe was tough, but this muffin has two of my favorite elements in it, fruit and cheese, and I absolutely love savory muffins but bake them far less often than their sweeter siblings. This is pretty much the same recipe SMS bakers baked last fall when we made the Caramelized Onion, Sage, and Cheddar Muffins, with a change up in the add-ins. My family really enjoyed these muffins last fall so I wanted to sample another one of the Savory Muffins from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.

Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Muffins3 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 tsp teaspoons baking powder1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I left this out)1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon sugar10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled2 large eggs1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature (I used sour cream)1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature (I used skim milk)1 cup peeled, cored, and diced Bosc pears3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese1/2 cup chopped, lightly toasted walnutsPosition a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with muffin papers (or butter and flour the cups or spray them with nonstick vegetable cooking spray). -- I used Pam For Baking which has flour in it. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and sugar. Sprinkle pears, blue cheese, and walnuts over the flour mixture and toss gently. -- In the below photo I hadn't added the walnuts yet. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, and eggs. Whisk in the heavy cream and milk until combined. -- I whisked the eggs and sour cream (in place of the cream) together first, then added the butter. Make a well in the center. Pour the butter mixture into the center of the well and, using a rubber spatula, gently pull the flour mixture into the center of the well until just combined. -- This muffin batter is very thick and kind of tough to mix, just be gentle and try to get it all incorporated together without mixing it too much or you will have tough muffins. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup until full. -- I had enough muffin batter (more like dough to me) for 12 standard muffins and 9 small muffins. Bake for 30-35 minutes*, or until lightly golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the enter comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. -- *My small muffins were done at about 20 minutes and my standard muffins were done at 25 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. The muffins are best eaten the day they are made, but they can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and kept for 2 days at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Defrost still wrapped at room temperature.

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This one had a big chunk of blue cheese in it, yum!

What did everyone think of these? I thought they were great and would be a perfect accompaniment to a soup or stew. The sour cream helped them have a nice moist crumb and decreasing the baking time is a must. Before tasting them I wasn't quite sure what to serve them with, other than as an afternoon snack, but after tasting them, I know they were meant for soup. I'm thinking a cup of creamy tomato basil soup, a small salad, and these muffins would be the perfect little lunch trio.

All three of my kids were excited about these muffins because they had pears in them. My kids love pears, and I wasn't sure what their response to these would be since they are savory and a touch spicy. I think they were envisioning a sweeter pear muffin, but much to my surprise they all loved these and all wanted a second muffin and made sure to tell me to save the rest for tomorrow. Picky husband did not want to try one just yet, he doesn't get the classic pear and blue cheese combo, but I'm holding out that he'll try one tomorrow :)

Thank you to everyone who baked along with me this week. I can't wait to see how your muffins turned out, I hope you liked them!

Thanks for picking these. There is nothing like a savory muffin. I think, you can add these to any meal or if you leave it to me, I would be noshing on them, morning, noon and night. I had to change some of the ingredients but the theme is the same and they were sublime.

The muffins look great and it sounds like they exceeded expectations. I didn't get a chance to make them this weekend, but will keep them in mind the next time I make tomato soup - your lunch idea sounds like an excellent combination.

Thanks for choosing this recipe. I have never made a savory muffin before. I didn't realize how spicy cayenne pepper was! I am interested in playing with savory ingredients. I love the rustic look of your muffins....they look great!

Andrea, thanks for hosting! I actually made these, but haven't gotten the blog post up yet. I agree. These seem like they would go good with a soup or stew, but that didn't stop my husband from eating a couple for breakfast since they were "muffins." =)

About Me

I'm a stay at home mommy to three wonderful children that I adore, and wife to a very picky husband -- always trying to find a dish that will be his new favorite. I enjoy being in the kitchen trying new recipes and especially love baking and international foods.
I am a lifelong vegetarian but my husband and kids are omnivores.
I have a huge 'small kitchen appliance' and kitchen gadget collection. I don't know why but I just love unitaskers. Along with kitchen gadgets, I have a huge collection of cookbooks, and also love specialty bakeware.
Sitting down with a cup of honey sweetened fruit tea and paging through a cookbook is my way to relax.

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Thank you so much for visiting Nummy Kitchen! I would love to hear from the readers of my trials and triumphs in the kitchen! If you have a question about a recipe or ingredient, or just want to say hello, you can reach me at: